The Family

I saw one of my dearest friends a week ago. You may be thinking, you're on a mission, you aren't supposed to run into friends... it's kind of a different thing when your mission is a historical site for the Church. Kaylie happened to be here for a wedding. She was here with her sister, her husband LJ and her baby Gabriel. Look at Gabriel! Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen? Honestly... it's a little ridiculous how adorable this baby is..

All the fuss over Gabriel's cuteness aside, it really made me think about the family. The family. I mean, my friend Kaylie has a family, she is a mother. The opportunity to have a family is such a blessing to many in this life. But, why?

The family is the most important social unit in time and in eternity. We believe that through temple marriages, or sealings, the family can be together forever. Christ gave to Peter the power to do this explaining to him in Matthew 18, "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Through the restoration of that sealing power from Peter to a prophet in our time that wonderful power to be sealed together as a family is on the earth once more.

Another dear friend of mine, Becky had twins recently. She told me in an email how grateful she was that she and her husband had been sealed in the temple. When their boys were born she knew that had any of them lost their lives they would be together forever after this life. How reassuring! What an amazing knowledge to have! Tragedies may happen but through the temple we can be together with our families forever.

Although I haven't been sealed to my parents yet, I know one day we will be... I know the temple brings so many blessings that we can't even comprehend them all fully. I'm so blessed to be serving right next to a temple, something that I often forget. It's easy to take it for granted, but the temple really makes all the difference not only in this life, but in life after death as well.

If you'd like to read a little bit more about LDS Temples you can look here.